Brazing alloy



May 22, 1945. w N 2,376,579

- BRAZING ALLOY Filed March 10, 1943 B I a2 100 so so 70 so 50 40 INVENTOR Wa/IeR A. Dean ATTORNEY Patented May 252, 1945 um-TED STATES PATENT ounce Alumin um Company of America, Pittsburgh,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Y Application March 1c, 1943, Serial No. 478,651

v '3 Claims. This invention relates to filler metal alloys to be used in the fusion joining of metal members,

and it is more particularly concerned with the provision of a filler metal compositionadapted for brazing aluminum and aluminum base alloy members.

One of the common methods of joining metal members is to fuse another metal of lower meltrange within which the operation is conducted.-

Soft soldering is carried out in a relatively low temperature-range, usually below about 500 F.,. without fusion of the members being joined. Brazing is done at a somewhat higher temperature and generally without fusion' of any of the metal members. In contrast to the two precedingpractices, welding is performed at a still higher temperatureand a very small portion of the metal members is actually fused at the edges of the joint.- In all three methods a flux is generally preferred for the dual purpose of removing superficial oxide films-or other non-metallic impurities and promoting the spread of the fused metal. Because of the diflference in the temperatureranges' at which these various joining operations are conducted, different techniques .are followed in effectingajoint.

The brazing of aluminum and aluminum base alloys is a comparatively recent development because of the difflculty of removing the oxidefllm on the surface of the aluminum. A further difilculty arises in the brazing of age hardening aluminum base alloys which receive solution and subsequent agehardening treatments to develop their maximum tensile strength and hardness because brazingof such'alloys must be done within the solution heat treating temperature range of about 800 to 1000" F. and generally below the temperature of incipient fusion of any of the constituents of the alloy if adverse effects of overheating are to be avoided. Brazing these alloys above about 1000 F; generally causes marked incipient fusion of some of their constituents with consequent loss in strength and resistance to cor- 'rosion as well as softening the metal to the-point at solution heat treating temperatures because the fillermetal would run away from the joint where the joint had been made previous to solution heat treatment or ii a jointing. were attempt- 5 ed during this thermal treatment. To use such a low melting filler metal in making a joint on material which has received a solution heat treatmentand has been cooled to room temperature would vitiate the benefits gained from the soluof the Joint. These drawbacks are especially evident in furnace brazing practice. It would be advantageous, therefore, to have a filler metal which melts above 800 F. but below 1000 F. and thus permit combining the brazing and solution heat treating operations; however, no known satisfactory filler metal has been available for making joints within the aforesaid temperature range.

In brazing metal members it is necessary that the filler metal should have a melting point close to the temperature at which the brazing is done in order to obtain a rigid structure shortly after the brazed assembly has been withdrawn from the similar low melting point alloy as a filler metal in place of the higher melting point filler metals mentioned hereinafter has certain inherent disadvantages in addition to those mentioned above regarding filler metals melting below 800 F. Among the most important of these disadvantages is the fact that the filler metal remains molten over a substantial temperature interval when the brazed assembly is cooledto room temperature after removal from the brazing furnace or other heating means. If such an assembly is chilled, the fused filler metal may crack as it freezes, thus making an unsound joint, or even no joint at all, that is, the members of the assembly may not even adhere to each other. Furthermore, the fact that the joint does not become rigid immediately upon cooling from the brazing temperature permits some displacement of the members and misalignment with respect to eachother. In extreme eases, th members might actually become separated. It is therefore apparent that it is highly desirable, if not imperative, that a filler metal be v.jemployed which has a melting point close to the I brazing temperature. a

It is an object of my invention to provide a filler metal for'brazing which has a melting point below a temperature of about'l000 F. but above 800 F. Another object is to provide a filler metal melting below 1000 F. which is especially adapted to form a brazed joint between tlon heat treatment, at least in the neighborhood heating medium. The use of a soft solder or members of aluminum or aluminum base alloys. A particular object is to provide a brazing alloy filler metal which can be employed to form a i joint during the solution heat treatment of assembled age hardening aluminum base alloy members.

I have discovered that alloys of silver, alumi; num, copper and cadmium within certain limits possess melting points between 850 and 1000 F. and produce a strong bond between structural members when employed as brazing filler metal. The aluminum and silver should be used in the ratio of 1 part of the former to between 2 and 3 parts of the latter. The combined aluminum and silver contents of the alloys should in all cases amount to not less than 65 per cent of the entire composition in order to obtain melting points below 1000 F. The copper and cadmium constitute the balance of the alloy except where small amounts of other elements may be added as explained more fully hereinbelow.

The composition ofthe alloys can be better understood by reference to the accompanying figure which shows the relative proportions of the several components.

This figure consists of the familiar type of ternary diagram for indicating the composition of alloys made from three components. In this instance the apex of the triangle designated R refers to the aluminum-silver portion of the alloy, the silver being present in the amount of 2.22 parts to 1 part of aluminum. In all of the alloys covered'by the diagram, the silver and aluminum are always present in nominally that ratio and hence are considered to be one component of a ternary alloy system. The irregular shaded area in the diagram represents the alloy compositions which melt below 1000 F. and are suitable for brazing. The area is bounded by lines designated ABCDEFGHIJKA. The cadmium content of the alloys should not be less than 0.1 per cent and hence the portion of the area indicated by the line AK should not be regarded as requiring the absence of this element. While the diagram shows compositions wherein the silver and aluminum are in.

fixed proportion with respect to each other, it will be appreciated that some deviation from this value is permissible in commercial practice. For this reason a range of from 2 to 3 parts of silver to 1 part of aluminum is allowable. Where such a range occurs, substantially the same boundary line in the diagram mentioned above should be followed, the determining factor in any case being a, maximum melting point of 1000 F. In my preferred practice the alloys should contain from 5 to 15 per cent copper, 2 to 17 percent cadmium and the balance silver and aluminum in the ratio of 2 to 3 parts oi silver to 1 part of aluminum.

To enhance certain characteristics of the foregoing alloys and to assist in obtaining melting points in the lower portion of the 850 to 1000 F. range, it is desirable at times to inelude the additional elements antimony, lead, tin and bismuth. For the purpose of my invention these elements are considered as constituting a group of metals because of their-similar chemical and physical properties as wellas their similarity in behavior in the brazing alloys herein described. I have found that from 1 to per cent of one or more of these metals may be advantageously employed, but the total amount should not in general exceed about 10 per cent.

It is to be understood that small amounts of still other elements may be present in the alloys as impurities or as intentionally added ingredients without substantial adverse effect upon the beneficial properties of the alloys for braz ing purposes. The alloy compositions claimed hereinbelow are intended to permit the inclusion of such minor alloying elements.

One of the advantages of having filler metal of the kind herein described which melts at a temperature close to that of the solution heat treating temperature of the alloy being brazed, is that in some cases brazing and solution heat treatment may be carried out simultaneously.v In other instances where the member being they are also useful in joining members of.

aluminum or aluminum base alloys that are not so treated. The advantage gained through use of my alloys in such cases is that the joining operation can be conducted at'a lower temperature and with less danger of encountering difliculties sometimes attendant upon the use of higher brazing temperatures. The brazing alloys may also be employed in making joints between aluminum members and members of other metals or between non-aluminous metals.

In. using the brazing alloy, suitable fluxes should be employed. Generally those fluxes which contain alkali metal halides are satisfactory. Such fluxes adapted to brazing are now available and have been found to give satisfactory results.

As an illustration of the operation of my invention, I may cite an example of the brazing of an assembly of aluminum alloy members.

The members, composed of an alloy consisting of H 1 per cent silicon, 0.6 per' cent magnesium, 0.25 Der cent chromium and balance aluminum and the usual impurities, were first cleaned with emery cloth and carbon tetrachloride. The cleaned members were assembled in an inverted T position and filler metal composed of 57.4 per cent-silver, 26 per cent aluminum, 9.9 per cent copper, 4.9 per cent cadmium and balance impurities was placed along one side of the intersection. A suitable brazing flux was painted on the areas where the joint was to be made. The entire assembly was then placed in a furnace and heated up to about 980 F., the solution heat treating temperature for the alloy members, and held at this temperature for a period of 5 minutes. At the conclusion of this time the assembly was withdrawn from the furnace and cooled in an air blast. The filler metal was found to have flowed to the other side of the T joint and to have formed a satisfactory fillet on both sides of. the joint. The jointed members were firmly attached to. each other and the joint could only be ruptured with difliculty when pulling the members apart under tension.

Although certain examples have been given hereinabove. it will be appreciated that other compositions coming within the scope of my invention may be made and will give equally satisfactory res'ults.

Iclaim:

asvauva aluminum in this component being 2 to 3 parts of silver to 1 part or aluminum, said alloy being characterized by having a-melting point below 1000 F. a

2. A brazing alloy consistin essentially oi. silver, aluminum, copper and cadmium as indicated in the shaded area 01' the figure, wherein the cadmium content is not less than 0.1 per cent and the silver and aluminum form one component of the ternary system, the proportion of silver to aluminum in this component being 2 to 3 parts of silver to 1 part of aluminum, and from 1 to 10 per cent of at least one of the metals of the group consisting of antimony, .lead, tin and bismuth, the total amount of said metals not exceeding 10 per cent, said alloy being characterized by having a melting point below 1000" F.

3. A brazing alloy consisting essentially of silver, aluminum, copper and cadmium in the proportions of 5 to 15 per cent copper, 2 to 17 per cent cadmium and the balance silver and aluminum in the ratio of 2 to 3 parts of silver to 1 part of aluminum, said alloy being characterized by having. a melting point below 1000 F. v

' WALTER A. DEAN. 

